People helping people. That's what giving to hospice care is all about. If you have a passion for caring for others, and if you're looking for a way to make a difference in people's lives, consider becoming a hospice volunteer.

Hospice gives patients who are facing a life-limiting illness the freedom to live ALL the days of their lives by offering comfort, dignity and quality of life. As a hospice volunteer, and an important part of our hospice care team, you can help improve the quality of life for our patients, as well as their families and caregivers.

Direct Patient Care Volunteers can make a difference in a variety of ways:

Activities with Patients:

• Offering companionship
• Reading and writing letters
• Playing chess, cards or board games
• Knitting, scrapbooking and other craft projects
• Participating in pet therapy
• Providing support at time of death

Household Activities:

• Arranging donated flowers
• Light gardening
• Delivering hand-made blankets and quilts
• Running errands
• Walking pets

Emotional Support:

• Assisting with letter writing
• Providing respite for caregivers
• Making spiritual prayer calls
• Attending funerals
• Participating in memorial services
• Offering companionship to loves ones

Administrative Hospice Volunteers may help in the following ways:

• Answer phones in hospice office
• Assist with patient and family mailings
• Data entry
• Filing and assisting the Bereavement and Volunteer Programs with administrative tasks as needed

Amedisys Hospice partners with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to offer the We Honor Veterans program to our patients and their families. The Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer Program aims to pair recruited Veteran Volunteers with hospice patients who have been identified as Veterans.

Currently, Amedisys Inc., Garner office, serves hospice patients in the following counties: Wake, Durham, Johnson, Harnett, Lee, Orange, Chatham, Wilson, Wayne, Nash and Duplin.

Time is valuable, and at the end of life, every moment counts. Consider giving some of your time to make others' lives brighter. You may find that your life becomes brighter too.